Perambulator



May 30, 1933. J J PQWERS 1,911,924

PERAMBULATOR Filgd Sept. 5, 1951 I N V EN TOR. J0J76fi J Powers. BY

ATTORN Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH J.POWERS, OF ROOSEVELT, YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TWENTIETH 'lO WILLIAM J.STEELE, OF BALDWIN, NEW YORK PERAMBULATOR Application filed September 5,1931.

My invention relates to hand propelled vehicles and more particularly tobaby carriages or perambulators.

In an application filed May 18, 1931, Serial Number 538,207, there isdisclosed a perambulator in which means is provided for raising andlowering the body of the vehicle relatively to the ground. Inperambulators thus constructed it is possible to approach, and proceedup and over a curb or other obstruction without tilting or incliningeither the body of the vehicle or the chassis to which the body isattached.

The present invention aims to accompllsh exactly the same results asthose set forth in said pending application. It is deslgned and intendedto operate upon the same basic principle. Instead, however, of utilizingthe rear axle of the running gear as a fulcrum about which the frame,when raising and lowering the body of the vehicle, is rocked, said frameis supported by and is adapted to fulcrum about an axis passing throughthe centers of rotation of two wholly independent and relatively smallwheels or casters carried by and movable with the frame itself. Themain. rear axle of the perambulator is under no circumstances displacedrelatively to the running gear of which said axle 15 an essential part.In other words, the frame, instead of being carried across and over themain rear axle, is carried across and beneath said axle and has fastenedthereto the auxiliary or caster wheels, the latter, as distinguishedfrom the main rear wheels, acting as the vehicle support during thatperiod of operation in which the body or chassis, and hence the mainwheels, are raised out of contact with the ground.

The principal advantages of such an arrangement are that the structureof the conventional perambulator need not be altered or modified andthat the device of the invention may be manufactured and sold as aperambulator accessory readily attachable to perambulators now in use.Other advantages such as low manufacturing cost, etc., are obvious.

In the drawing, wherein like reference Serial No. 561,833.

characters denote like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary perambulator with the deviceof my invention thereto attached;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the device depressed and theperambulator body. raised out of contact with the ground; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the attachment.

The perambulator illustrated comprises the usual body 10, springs 11,longitudinally extending gear frame 12, handle 13, front wheels 14 andrear wheels 15. The wheels 14 and 15 are mounted on axles 16 and 17,respectively, and the axles 16 and 17 are fastened in the usual mannerto the gear frame 12.

The attachment per se is designated in its entirety as 18. structurally,it is generally similar to the so-called auxiliary chassis referred toin said pending application. It comprises two longitudinally extendingside frame members 19 inter-connected at one end by a pedal-like crossframe member 20. The side frame members 19, at their forward ends, arefastened (as by screws, bolts or the like) to the gear frame 12 bysuitable hinge attachment fittings 21. Preferably, the points ofattachment are disposed slightly forward of a plane passing verticallythrough the center of gravity of the vehicle.

As set forth in said earlier filed apnlication, the side frame members'19 are 0 channel section, each atits point'of inter-section with therear axle 17 being notched as at 22. Thus constructed the side framemembers 19, with the attachment 18 in the position indicated in Fig. 1,receive within the channels thereof the coextensive portions of the gearframe 12. Spring clips 23 carried by the gear frame 12 hold theattachment 18 in its collapsed or retracted position, whereas one ormore springs 23 fastened to the attachment and to the gear frame, holdthe former collapsed. By exerting pressure on the pedal 20 theattachment is extended to thus proportionally elevate or raise the gearframe and hence the body of the vehicle. 7

Both the front and rear axles of-the vehicle are fastened to the gearframe 12. The attachment, when retracted, extends across, beyond andbeneath the rear axle, and in its fully retracted position the rear axlefits within the notches 22 formed in the side frame members 19.

To provide an effective fulcrum for the side frame members 19, eachsaidmember has fastened thereto a depending leg or extension 24. At theirouter ends said extensions 24 have mounted thereon auxiliary or casterwheels 25. These wheels 25 do not ordinarily make contact with theground. It is only when the attachment is extended or depressed thatground contact is established. Contact having been once established, theauxiliary wheels provide a suitable fulcrum about which the attachment28 can be rocked or pivoted to elevate the gear frame 12 and hence thebody 10 by the continued or increased pressure on the pedal 20. In thismanner the perambulator is bodily elevated to ride freely over anobstruction, the auxiliary wheels 25 all the while providing wheelcontact with the ground. To admit of a sufficient elevation of the frame12, theattaehment 18 is preferably curved upwardly at its pedal end. Thecasters 25, moreover, are preferably so related to the side framemembers 19 as to give wlth nnmmum pressure, maximum liftto the gearframe 12.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that no mod'fieation whatsoever isrequired of standardized designs of perambulators to admit of theattachment being applied; and that once ing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. r

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination withfa perambulator comprising a supporting gearincluding front and rear axles and main supportlng wheels therefor, ofan attachment including a frame adapted for fittingv engagement close upagainst the under side of said supporting gear, said frame at itsrearward end being extended beneath and 'rearwardly beyond said rearaxle, and sald frame at its oppositeend being pivotally fastenedto saidsupporting gear, and auxiliary wheels carried by saidframeintermediately of its ends and about .the axes of which said frame isadapted to rock when depressed from 1ts normal raised .mentas aforesaidbeing adapted to assist in bodily raising the main supporting wheels outof contact with the surface upon which the peramubulator is supported.

2. In a perambulator, a longitudinally extending supporting gear, atransversely extending frontaxle upon which said supporting gear ismounted at its forward end, a transversely extending rear axle uponwhich said supporting gear is mounted at its rearward end, mainsupporting wheels carried by said axles, amovable frame having a pivotalconnection at its forward end with said supporting gear, said pivotalconnection lying intermediately of said front and said rear axles, andsaid frame at its rearward end being carried beneath and extended beyondsaid rear axle to admit of the unrestricted pivotal movement of saidframefrom a normal raised position close up against and substantiallyparallel with said supporting gear to an extended angular positiontherebeneath, and normally inactive wheels carried by said frameintermediately of its ends and about the of which said frame is adaptedto rock when depressed to in bodily raising said supporting gear andhence said main wheels out of contact with the surface upon which theperambulator is supported.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature:

JOSEPH J, POWERS.

